lightenup's Profile

I am surprised at the others commenting about good experiences with portable units; I have found them very inefficient ($$ wise and cooling wise).

First, assuming you would be allowed to put a condensor on the roof, you might try checking with some more professionals about the mini-split systems. They do all have vertical limits, but some (Carrier, I believe) have vertical limits in excess of 100 feet, which should cover 7 stories.

Otherwise, your options depend a lot on your apartment. If you have a rear-facing wall you might consider installing a sleeve high on the wall and installing a sleeve unit. Or, you could install those console type units that you likely encountered if you ever had a post-war rental in NYC. Either option would require you to cut a hole in your wall, which may not be permissible, and neither is very attractive.

A traditional central air system also could easily permit a condensor on your roof, but will require some closet/overhead space to install an air handler and, likely will require exposed ducting. And, very expensive (I am still living with window units and have not changed my windows because I was given a $40,000 estimate for central air).

You should be able to find a lower profile handle and, in fact,one that will be more attractive to that stock black plastic. Just search for "appliance handles" and lots of choices will appear. By way of example, try here http://www.thehardwarehut.com/catalog-product.php?p_ref=184263

You need to measure carefully to the center of the screw holes on the handle to get the right replacement. I agree with the others that taking down the drywall likely is more involved than the benefits -- the drywall alone probably won't get you enough room and if you remove the studs, you very likely will have to repaint the wall behind it (assuming it is yours) because the drywall screws will be pulled through. However, if you have a baseboard with quarter-round, pulling the baseboard might get you enough room.

LGSB -- It is sort of surprising that so much heat is chugging out of one of those sort of radiators -- it is often the old school cast iron ones that give rise to these severe heat problems.

The heat works by taking advantage of the laws of physics. Cold air falls, hot air rises, and cool (denser) air moves in the direction of hotter (lighter) air. So, a natural convection is created by the heater, cool air entering underneath,passing over the coils, and out the top. As a result, anything that interferes with that circulation pattern will reduce the heat output.

You could try to make the whole thing look neater by building a box around it that limits the airflow underneath. Or, just put some wood underneath that blocks airflow. You also could do something more permanent (which I would not recommend if this is a rental) -- inside the radiator cover (which just lifts off) you will find the steam/hot water tube, which has a series of heat transfer "fins" along the pipe. These are soft tin/copper/aluminum, and clipped on. You could remove some (BUT NOT ALL) of the fins to reduce the heat transfer.

Grout colorants or dyes are rather simple to use, especially with non-porous tiles like yours. The degree of discoloration is difficult to see from the picture. If there is severe discoloration, you may need to do multiple applications in that area to match the color, especially if you are using a lighter shade.

Because the grout is porous and tiles are not, application is quite simple. You will need to first clean the grout, and remove any sealers if any were applied (likely not, as this probably contributed to the discoloration). You will apply it to the grout in a relatively small area, let it seep in, and then wipe off the tiles. The circular tiles will make this a bit more tedious -- probably should get an artists paintbrush to apply it. If this is your only bathroom, you will lose it for a day or so.

These products are often referred to as "grout dye." Do a search and you will find lots sources. Some of the home centers have these products (at least in white), but you may find more of a selection on the internet, especially if you are looking for non-white.

Turtleesq -- Handing pictures in brick is simple. If you go to any hardware store you will find picture hangers just for this purpose. There are many types. Some clip over the face of the brick, leaving no holes (will not work well with painted or very crumbly brick). Others have small masonary nails that hammer right into the brick or mortar. (Hint: hammering into the mortar may be more difficult, but it will be easier to hide the holes later with a dab of mortar if you should move the hanger).

Hanging shelves is a more substantial task. There are basically two options: Brick/masonary anchors or masonary screws (often referred to by a brand name Tapcons). This requires pre-drilling holes with a masonary bit and leaves permanent holes (and, in the case of the anchors, quite large holes). I would hesitate to do this if a rental.

Heatherleaf -- Don't know if this is an own or a rental, but bleach breaks down the grout and will greatly shorten its life. Also, it will strip off any grout sealer, and thus speed the future staining of the grout. If you do go this route, buy some grout sealer and apply post-cleaning.

You likely will find it simpler to apply a one step grout stain sealer, which will cover up the stains and reseal the grout. You can find it at big box stores, or search for "grout stain" or "grout paint." They come in a variety of colors, will make the grout look like new, and will reseal the grout. Most have a built-in roll-on applicator -- very easy.

There is a recycling event at Union Square park every 6 or 12 months that will take and recycle electrical equipment. There is a limit to the number of items -- I don't recall.

You can also recycle electronics at Build it Green. http://www.bignyc.org

MS -- If this is one of those large rectangluar box A/C units that you see in virtually every post-war NYC apartment, there is no issue with painting it. In fact, the bigger issue often is that there is four layers of paint on there, and some needs to be taken off or it will look terrible or the vents will be clogged. The front cover of these units come off rather easily (it pulls up and toward you) -- I would take it off for painting purposes as it will make the job of painting easier and allow you to cover the controls, coils and/or fins under the top vents (the top also can be removed, but that is more work than it is worth) -- I'd paint the vents too.

You can use regular paint (I have had many a landlord that did so), but I would get a closely matching Rustoleum or other rust inhibiting paint intended for metal. Two reasons: (i) metal does not look particularly good (or clean particularly well) with the texture of wall paint, and (ii) you may avoid future rust stains from condensation. Cleaning is an important consideration because, unlike your walls, the A/C draws air (and dust) toward itself, which sticks to the condensation. Alternatively, you could put on a little rust inhibiting primer, and follow with your BM paint, though I would only do so with a high gloss version of your color.

fathead.com

removable, enormous, wall stickers.

I agree with the shower proposal, but that is personal tastes. Do what suits you best.

It will be very difficult and expensive (if not impossible) to move the toilet. What you are able to do vis-a-vis moving the bathtub/shower depends upon what is in the area around the toilet, what floor you are on, and what is below you. You may have to raise the bathroom slightly so drain lines can run underneath a platformed floor (the lines need to be pitched 1/2 inch per foot of travel).

Before getting too deep into the process of finding fixtures, get a reputable bathroom remodeler out to see what you have and what can be done. If the plumbing lines are accessible (in the floor or in the apartment/space below you), this is all readily doable. If you need to build a platform, you may decide that the quaint location of your bath is preferable. If plumbling lines would need to be sent up from the basement/lead pipes removed/etc., this is a very different equation.